COLLEGIATE SAND VOLLEYBALL
Performance guaranteed
Southern California powers to sand title behind USA Volleyball Beach High Performance veterans
he University of Southern California’s sand team’s perfect 28-0 season and national title was done with a core of players who have come up through USA Volleyball’s Beach High Performance Program. Sara Hughes and Kelly Claes, who led the
T
Trojans to a perfect 4-0 record in winning the AVCA Sand National Championship in Gulf Shores, Ala., that included a sweep of Long Beach State University in the championship match, had considerable experience before competing for USC. That edge helped them also win the pairs championship in Alabama – the third straight for a Trojan duo. Anna Collier, head coach for the Trojans, said the experience her players have had out- side the two-month collegiate season played a role.
“Obviously we want them to play as much volleyball as possible,” says Collier. “Competing with USA Volleyball in the inter- national tournaments is certainly a bonus and complements the training they get with us.” Hughes, who is the signature name out of
DIGGING MACHINE: Sara Hughes stayed focused all year and brought home her second AVCA Pairs National Championship in 2015. (Photos: Peter Brouillet)
the Beach High Performance program, has played in seven international age group competitions since 2011. She has also competed in one regular FIVB event and four NORCECA competitions. Players earn those event berths by participating and excelling through USA Volleyball’s Beach High Performnace program. The other Trojan duo to earn AVCA Collegiate
Sand All-American honors was Alexa Strange and Sophie Bukovec, who fi nished fi fth in the pairs event in Alabama after losing to Hughes and Claes. Bukovec won an FIVB age group title while competing for Canada.
2015 AVCA Collegiate
Sand Pairs Tournament Championship Match
Sara Hughes/Kelly Claes (Southern California) def. Betsi Metter/Sarah Sponcil (Loyola Marymount) 21-12, 21-18
Semifi nals
FINAL WAVE: Kelley Larsen played her last season of collegiate sand volley- ball in 2015, competing at the top pairs spot for Pepperdine for most of the year.
50 | VOLLEYBALLUSA • Digital Issue at
usavolleyball.org/mag
• Kelly Claes/Sara Hughes (Southern California) def. Madi Kingdon/Kaitlyn Leary (Arizona) 21-16, 21-14
• Betsi Metter/Sarah Sponcil (Loyola Marymount) def. Shannon Dugan/MacKenzie Phelps (Grand Canyon) 21-18, 21-17
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76